1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to a very special limited series 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: brought to you by the Falcons podcast Network. I am 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: Tory mcahaney and I am joined by a man who 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: needs no introduction, but I've written one. Nonetheless, this is 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: someone who has almost fifty years of coaching experience at 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: both the high school level, the college level the pro level. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: He has a coaching tree of we recently found out 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: about twenty five coaches deep at the college in pro 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: level two Super Bowl championships. Retired in twenty nineteen, but 10 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: couldn't keep him away from the field, and he came 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: back as the defensive coordinator the Falcons in twenty twenty one. 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: I am joined by none other than Dean Peace. Thank 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: you for joining me on the podcast. Now, before we 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: actually get into the content that I have prepped for 15 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: the podcast, I wanted to tell you a story because 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: this is a very funny story. I don't know if 17 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: you remember or not, but this was a press conference. Gosh, 18 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: it was probably midway through the season and last year, 19 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: and you said that I was your favorite, which I appreciated. Nonetheless, 20 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: but one of our podcast listeners actually sent me in 21 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: the mail a very special gift and I'm gonna show 22 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: it to you. That's crazy. It's a mug that says 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: Dean's favorite. I'm gonna show the camera, hello everybody. And 24 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: this is something that it was funny because I got 25 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: a text from Austin Hittle, who's our director of video here, 26 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: and he was like, Tori, there's something in the office 27 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: that got sent to you. And I was like, who 28 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: is sending me anything? My parents definitely wouldn't. The only 29 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: people who send me things are my parents. I was like, 30 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: there's no way that anyone's gonna send me something. He 31 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: was like, I don't know what it is, but it's 32 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: here at the facility, and this is what it was. 33 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: It was a very I was like, this is very thoughtful. 34 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: So I had to show it to you. So now 35 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: I'm officially Dean's favorite. It's it's been in the mug form. 36 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: So my plan for this podcast is kind of just 37 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: to go through you're fifty years of coaching and kind 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: of look at it in a chronological way and look 39 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: back at the lessons learned and the moments that you 40 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: find meaningful and appreciate. Now, something that we actually talked 41 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: about recently is that you got your start as a 42 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: high school football coach and teacher. And that's something that's 43 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: very near and dear to my heart because my dad 44 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: is a high school football coach and teacher. So I 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: don't know if many people actually know that about you. 46 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: I think they see like, oh, he's a defensive coordinator 47 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: in the professional league, but he got his start as 48 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: a high school coach. That's very interesting. So for you, 49 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: I want to go back to it's probably what nineteen 50 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:49,119 Speaker 1: seventy two, nineteen seventy three, nineteen seventy three, go take 51 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: me back to a young Dean piece. Why I just 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: graduated from college. Really in the middle of the year 53 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: I graduated in December, I was playing in a city 54 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: league basketball league and the guy that was on my 55 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: team was a principal of a high school, and obviously 56 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: I got to know him well playing on the team, 57 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: and one day he came to me because you know, 58 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: what are you planning on doing. I was actually working 59 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: at a men's clothing store in town, and I thought, 60 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: you know, I wanted teach and coach. I got an 61 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: education degree. I really want to coach, and so he goes, well, 62 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna have an opening, would you be interested. Absolutely, 63 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: So I took the job site unseen, didn't know where 64 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: the high school was, anything else, didn't really care, just 65 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: so I wanted a job and took the job and 66 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: was the defensive coordinator of my first year. And then 67 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: the next year the head coach resigned and I became 68 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: the head coach. And really that's really Tori, That's that 69 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: was kind of what I wanted to be. I wanted 70 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: to be the guys I admired the most kind of 71 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: growing up besides my father was my high school coaches, 72 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: and so I kind of wanted to following their footsteps. 73 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: So I was happy and I stayed on there for 74 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: six years. Wow, I think that's I love that because 75 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: for me, the backbone I think of coaching is teaching. 76 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: And I know that's something that you've talked about before 77 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: when you were kind of at the high school level. 78 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: How did you see that incorporating not only in what 79 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: you were doing then, but who you are now as 80 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: a defensive coordinator in the league. Well, I think there's 81 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: a couple of things that came really from the very 82 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: early beginning there in high school. Is number one. You know, 83 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: you had to prepare a lesson plans. You had to 84 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: prepare ahead. Everybody didn't learn at the same rate. You know. 85 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: I think your object as a teacher was not to 86 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: see how many people you could fail. It's how many 87 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: can you benefit to really understand the stuff that you're 88 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: trying to teach and get the most out of them. 89 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: And so everybody is at a different level, and so 90 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: you got a learn how to deal with that, and 91 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: you got to have patience because every like I say, 92 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: everybody's not going to just come natural to them. And 93 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: really that's even true in the NFL. Every defensive back 94 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: doesn't play at the same level. Some catch on real quick, 95 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: some maybe not so much so. But it's your job 96 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: to get them to all be at the same level. 97 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: So how you're going to do that. I think the 98 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: other thing is that in high school, you inherit who 99 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: you have. You don't recruit. You know, it's not like college. Okay, 100 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: we can go out and recruit this guy, or we 101 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: can draft this guy. In the NFL, Hey I got 102 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: whoever I got, guy's got to go play my free safety. 103 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: You've got to go play linebacker for me. I got 104 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: to figure out how the parts fit. What can this 105 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: guy do best? How can we fit him into this? 106 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: And I think that's how you become a successful high 107 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: school coach. You deal with so many personalities, You deal 108 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: with parents, you deal with all that kind of stuff 109 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: that's kind of from the outside end, but I think 110 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: it really helps you to become a teacher. And you 111 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: also have to stand in front of a classroom all 112 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: the time and you're talking and teaching. It's not take 113 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: something off a computer. And you know, like nowadays a 114 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: little bit more than I think it should be is 115 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: too many guys spend too much time on the computer 116 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,679 Speaker 1: and not enough time with people you had to teach. 117 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: And I think that that's I'm really really grateful for 118 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 1: the way that I did come up. It didn't take over, 119 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: it didn't happen overnight, but I really am thankful for 120 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: the way it did. And I really I'm just so 121 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: grateful that I was a high school teacher start out with. 122 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: What are kind of some of the stories that you 123 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: have from being a high school coach and teacher. I know, 124 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: I think back to what my dad did growing up. 125 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: Your mowing the field, you are trading film, you are 126 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: doing it's kind of you're doing everything you know now 127 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: it's like, oh, these coaching staffs at the pro level, 128 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: they have underlings who can do everything, but at the 129 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: high school level, it is you doing everything. So what 130 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: was what was kind of your week like as a 131 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: high school coach? Well, it was in the summer. I 132 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: mowed the fields, lined the fields. Uh, that's kind of 133 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: what you did. We put on a camp every summer, 134 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: but it was free. We got some of the mothers 135 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: of the players to you know, make snacks and drinks 136 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: and all that stuff, and and that's how you really 137 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: got going. You wouldn't it. It didn't have anything to 138 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: do with money because there wasn't there one minty. Uh. 139 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: So it's it's it was just it was very very 140 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: When you look back, I don't it it's just so rewarding. 141 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: I think sometimes it's it's it's sometimes when you know 142 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: when you're when you're a kid, you don't know how 143 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: good your childhood is until you become an adult totally. Well, 144 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: I think it was the same way in coaching. I 145 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: don't know how much fun and how much I actually 146 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: enjoyed being a high school coach until I became a 147 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: coach later on, and how much I appreciated what I 148 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: had to do and what other coaches have to do. 149 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: That's why I admire high school coach is we need 150 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: more of them. I really feel like in society we're 151 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: always trying to find all these psychological things to help 152 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: kids that you know, there's just way too many shootings 153 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: and things like that going on nowadays. How about if 154 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: all the kids in the high school or eighty percent 155 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: of them, were involved in an extracurricular activity after school, 156 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: and it doesn't have to be football, It could be 157 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: any sport, it could be music, it could be plays, 158 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: it could be any of that stuff. How much more 159 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: beneficial would that be to maybe put money into the 160 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 1: high schools in this country than it would into all 161 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: these other programs, you know, so they aren't going on 162 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: home and sitting around and being alone or playing you know, 163 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: some of these games that they play on video games. 164 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: How about if we could get kids more involved. Well, 165 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: you got people right there in the high school that 166 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 1: will do it, but they also you shouldn't have to 167 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: do it for free, right and so you know, maybe 168 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: out of some money in that way. I know I'm 169 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: talking politics there a little bit, but I just really 170 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: feel like sometimes that's all kind of gone by the wayside, 171 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: and there's programs being dropped because they said, well, we 172 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: don't have the money to support this program or that program. 173 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: I just think that's a tragedy. Yeah, I think too, 174 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 1: Like you talk about, you know, people being alone being 175 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: and I think growing up always being around a team 176 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: and being a part of a team, that was something 177 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: that really kind of shaped me into who I am. 178 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: And I know it's something that shapes even the players 179 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: at the professional level into who they are. Is being 180 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: a part of a team. What are kind of some 181 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: memories that you have of those early days and kind 182 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: of forming these teams. And you were talking about how 183 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: at the high school level you don't get to bring 184 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: in who you want to. You have these guys who 185 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: you just kind of have. What was kind of your 186 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: way of building these teams? Well, I think the biggest 187 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: thing was I took over a program that had not 188 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: one in a long time. So the number one thing 189 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: was kind of being positive and trying to convince them 190 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: that they can be good. There's so much more of 191 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: that than people really realize. At all levels. You know, 192 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: you become in a rut if if you just aren't 193 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: having a lot of success. People have a tendency to 194 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: kind of drop down to the level that everybody puts 195 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: them out instead of trying to go past that. But 196 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: you know, also being at the high school, I was 197 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: a head football coach. I was the JV basketball coach 198 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: and the head track coach. And so the other part 199 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: of that is not everybody that ran track played football, right, 200 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: not everybody that played football ran track or and then 201 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: there were certain guys in basketball that was their thing. 202 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: So you also find out that everybody didn't have the 203 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: same interest you do, you know, and that's okay, you know, 204 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: but they so you coach them all different. You know, 205 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: I can't go in, you knows, as a basketball coach 206 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: and treat it like I did as the football team, 207 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: you know, you know, giving them a raw row of 208 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: speech before, you know, to go out and hit somebody 209 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: was not going to work, not real good when they 210 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: fouled out. So then and then after a couple of 211 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: years as a basketball coach, they asked me if I 212 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: want to be the assistant wrestling coach. Well, I'd never 213 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: wrestled in my life. I didn't know anything about it, 214 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: but I thought, yeah, i'd be interesting, So I did it. 215 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: And basically they let me go as a basketball coach 216 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: because I got two meet technicals, so they moved me 217 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: over to wrestling, and so then I became the assistant 218 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: wrestling coach. Like I said, didn't know anything about it, 219 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: but then I get it a whole different appreciation for 220 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: what those guys go through. You're out there on the 221 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: map by yourself. You're not playing on a team. It's 222 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: you and against the other guy, and there's nobody you 223 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: can ask for help. You know, you're not calling for 224 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: the safety or the linebacker to help you out there. 225 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: It's you, And so different appreciation for that same thing 226 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: with the track guys. It's you against the clock and 227 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: against the other guys. So you learn a lot about 228 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: people and how I want to handle people. And to me, 229 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: that was the most rewarding thing about high school. And 230 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: then you know, everybody always talking to me about the 231 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: Super Bowls and stuff, But the truth of it is 232 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: is that the satisfaction of watching that high school team 233 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: have their first winning season in twenty years was very, 234 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: very rewarding. It took a lot of work, had nothing 235 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: to do with money. The assistant coaches that were on 236 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: my staff, I mean those guys got peanuts to help 237 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: be an assistant coach, maybe five hundred dollars for the year, 238 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: and you know, just the great satisfaction I've taken a 239 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: group like that that hadn't won and watching them when 240 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: was just really really satisfying. Yeah, I love that because 241 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: it is. I mean, I think a lot of people 242 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: get it. Don't get into coaching for the money. They 243 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: get into it because they love people and love their players. 244 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: And I think that shows most evident in the fact 245 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: that you got so many technicals as a basketball coach. 246 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: I have a story. So when I was thirteen years old, 247 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: I was at my sister's, my younger sister's basketball game. 248 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: It was just like a rat game. It wasn't anything significant, 249 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: and I got a technical in the stands, not because 250 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: I was technically yelling, but because I was sitting beside 251 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: my mom and we both yelling, and she yelled to 252 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: this this poor young referee that he sucked, and I 253 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, he does, and then he turned around 254 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: and said, get out of here. So I can relate 255 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: to that. What is your favorite technic getting a technical 256 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: story that you ever had? Well, actually is the first 257 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 1: game I ever coached as a JV first one, and 258 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: the head coach, the varsity coach was our athletic director. Okay, 259 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:57,079 Speaker 1: obviously you know it was my boss, right, not twice, 260 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: not only as the basketball coach, but as the AD. 261 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: And so we're at an away game and I don't 262 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: remember there's some call goes on, but I do remember. 263 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: Its Gibsonburg High School, and you know, it is different 264 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: than in football. I walked right out to mid court 265 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: and started getting the officials. I mean, you're not supposed 266 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,199 Speaker 1: to be out here. It was the first thing you 267 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: told me. Then the second thing was he technical, gave 268 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: me a technical, and then I kind of looked around 269 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: and there's our athletic director shaking his head. What have 270 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: I done? And so that was I do remember my 271 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: very first technical as a yeah, you never you never forget. 272 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: I love that. It was funny too, because, yeah, the 273 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: coaching basketball and coaching football, it's it's a very different beast. 274 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: And I liked what you were talking about in terms 275 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: of like having to choose and understand how each not 276 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: only like each team works, but coaching and teaching each 277 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: individual person. You've had a almost fifty years of doing this. 278 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: Is there a player who learned in a different way 279 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: that you kind of had to go back and be like, 280 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: I need to figure out how this player learns because 281 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: it's very different than maybe somebody else. Well I don't 282 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if I could say, and I probably 283 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't say it was. But every player learns a little different. 284 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: And some can just look at the film and boom, 285 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: pick it up. Some of them you can actually draw 286 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: a diagram and they could pick it up. Some of 287 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: them you got to go out there and wrap it 288 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: two or three times before they truly understand. Doesn't matter. 289 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: The bottom line is how do I need to get 290 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: it taught? You know, everybody doesn't probably learn math quite 291 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: the same way, or you know, or anything else. And 292 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: even if some people can read a book and tell 293 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: you everything it's in the book, me I gotta go 294 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: back and back and back and back and write notes 295 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: and do all that kind of stuff. So everybody does 296 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: learn differently. But I think the other part of it 297 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: is that everybody comes from a different background too, And 298 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: the more you know about their background as a teacher 299 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: or as a coach. This is kind of fast forwarding 300 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: a little bit. But in college I wanted as a 301 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: head college coach. I wanted to visit every player that 302 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: played for me's home, which is hard to do, but 303 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: I did it every spring when most the coaches would 304 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: go junior recruiting, I went and visited the homes of 305 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: guys who are already on my team because it helped 306 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: me understand is it a tough background, is it a 307 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: very affluent background, is it a very poor background financially? 308 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: Who runs the family as it? Mom is a dad? 309 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: Is at grandma? Are there? Is there dad in the picture? 310 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: Is their parents in the picture. If you understand those dynamics, 311 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: you also maybe understand a little bit about the player 312 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: a little bit more. And to me, that was really 313 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: really important. It was easy to do when you're recruiting 314 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: a kid out of high school because you're going on 315 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: the home visits and you get to kind of see, 316 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: but you don't know about the guys that are already 317 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: were on your team. And then eventually you know them 318 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,680 Speaker 1: all because you've recruited them all if you're there long enough, 319 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: and it transcends into the NFL. Because I'll give you 320 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: an example of a young man. One time that we're 321 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: playing in a playoff game, and every Wednesday as long 322 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: as I've been a coordinator in the NFL, I have 323 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: what I call a signal callers meeting, and I take 324 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 1: a guy from each position and we come in and 325 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,360 Speaker 1: I talk to them about here's before I ever talked 326 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: to the defense, here's what our game plan is. What 327 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: do you guys think? So they have a little input 328 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: in into it because it's it's their team, and so 329 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: like like when I was at Bottomore, I mean it 330 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: was ray Lewis, ed Rey Terrell, Suggs, and a Helodi Nada. 331 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: I mean it was incredible. I should have taken a picture. 332 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,959 Speaker 1: So I remember walking into them one time and telling him, 333 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: here's what you know we want to do against this 334 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: team that we're playing in the playoffs. So I mean, 335 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: this is big. Now, we can't be wrong, all right. 336 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: So then I tell him that, and I'll never forget 337 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: ed Reid's face is that I tell him that I'm 338 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: going to put this one corner in charge of making 339 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: the disguise call. Okay, We're going to try to disguise 340 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: the coverage on this quarterback, and I want everybody to 341 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: look the same. And the kid that I talked about 342 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: was a kid that always had had come from a 343 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: couple of different teams and had trouble adjusting and just 344 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: kind of was just had trouble. Yeah, And so Ed 345 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: looked at me, like, you're gonna do what I said. 346 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: I am, because here's the thing about it is, he's 347 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,439 Speaker 1: never been in charge of anything. Nobody's ever given him 348 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: that responsibility. He's always been put in a follower role. 349 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: Somebody else is in charge, and you have to do 350 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: what they do. The truth of the matter is is 351 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: I don't really care what we disguise. It's just I 352 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: want them both corners to be exactly the same. So 353 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: I know this corner over here is going to do 354 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: exactly what I tell him to do. Him the guy 355 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: that I'm talking about sometimes does, sometimes it doesn't. But 356 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: if he's in charge, I know the other guy will 357 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: do exactly I said. And I'm going to point it 358 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: out in front of the whole defense. Who I'm going 359 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: to put in charge of the disguise I said, And 360 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: wait till you see his face. I will bet you 361 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: that he perks right up, sits up, and all of 362 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: a sudden, like somebody gave me some credibility and some 363 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: responsibility because I knew about this kid's background and it 364 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: wasn't good. And so when I did that that day, 365 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,479 Speaker 1: ed comes back to me, good man, you are right. 366 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: I turned, I looked at him and it was like 367 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: somebody had just given him something special. Yeah, and you're 368 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: in charge. And he took that and ran with it 369 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: and had a heck of a year, had a heck 370 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: of a game and we want it and went on 371 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: to the super Bowl. So it was just something like that, 372 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: but that not if I hadn't known his background, if 373 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: I just would have said, well, hey, I'm not going 374 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: to put that guy in charge. I'm gonna put this 375 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,239 Speaker 1: guy in charge. It benefited him, but it benefited us. 376 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: And the only reason I kind of did it was 377 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: because I knew that he needed that and that would 378 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 1: help all of us. And it did. Yeah, I mean 379 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: that was what I was going to ask, is like 380 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: why that moment, Like why did you want to give 381 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: him that responsibility? I mean, you talk about it's a 382 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: big game, it's a playoff game, like this is this 383 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: is it you win or you or you lose, and 384 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: that's it. And so why was it that moment that 385 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: you felt compelled to do because it fit? Because I, 386 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: like I said, It didn't matter what the disguise was. 387 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: I didn't care if they lined up and cover two 388 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: and played cover three or if they lined up and 389 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,639 Speaker 1: cover three and played cover two. It didn't matter. What 390 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 1: mattered was that we just had a disguise. I didn't 391 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 1: want the quarterback to be able to before the ball 392 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: was ever snapped, to know exactly what the coverage was. 393 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: So it didn't matter how we disguised. It just mattered 394 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: that we did. So it was a perfect timing to 395 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 1: put him in charge of it because it didn't really 396 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: it wasn't There wasn't anything schematically, he couldn't screw it up. 397 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: He couldn't. Yeah, so whatever he chose to do was 398 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: going to be right. And it was just so the 399 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 1: timing of it was it. It happened. I just thought 400 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: about it at the time and I thought, Okay, I 401 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: gotta put somebody in charge of this, and I thought 402 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 1: it's a perfect time to put him in charge him. 403 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: I love that because I think that it's you go 404 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: going back to what you're talking about is like knowing 405 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,920 Speaker 1: the background of a player and kind of knowing how 406 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: much they can handle versus what they can't handle. I 407 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: think you even talked about it even taking over this 408 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: Falcons defense last year, and and you made the comment like, 409 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to fit the players to the scheme. 410 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: A good coach, a good coordinator fits the scheme to 411 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: the players. And how much like when you're looking at 412 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: like background and thinking about who you have available, how 413 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: much do you cognizantly think about that and how much you, 414 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: as a coordinator are changing to fit the person that 415 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: you have, oh, all the time. I would hope that 416 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: all coaches would do that. It's the easiest analogy. It was, Okay, 417 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: if you have an option quarterback that you recruited out 418 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: of high school to go win, are you going to 419 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 1: make him a drawback quarterback in college? No, there was 420 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: a reason why he has success in high school because 421 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: it was an option quarterback and can't run. Okay, so 422 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: you're going to adapt your offer. I would hope you 423 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: probably most times you're recruiting guys to what you want 424 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: to do. If you're a dropback college team, you're going 425 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,239 Speaker 1: to to drop back guy. The thing that hit me 426 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: was in the in the NFL, especially, you know you 427 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: only have forty five guys dressed on game day. You know, 428 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 1: maybe twenty two guys on defense. So you know if 429 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: a guy goes down. Okay, let's say that we want 430 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: to play man coverage and we got a corner. We 431 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: got maybe two corners. Hey, if you're blessed, you have 432 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: two corners that can play man coverage, but one if 433 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: one of them gets hurt or rolls an ankle or 434 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: does something like that, and the next guy up isn't 435 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: a good man coverage team or guy. So are you 436 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: gonna say? Then, by guys, you're gonna play man coverage 437 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: no matter what, you're gonna get killed. So the year 438 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: we won the Super Bowl in Baltimore in twenty twelve, 439 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: if I'm not mistaken, we started seven different corners that 440 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: year because of injuries and things. Well, we changed the 441 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: game plan every week. Sometimes we played a lot of 442 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: Cover two. Sometimes we played a lot of Cover three. 443 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes we played a lot of Cover man. And so 444 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: I mean we got we had We brought a kid 445 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 1: in one on a Tuesday and was playing on he 446 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: was gonna have to start on Sunday against the team 447 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 1: that just cut him. Oh goodness, Now do you think 448 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: they might know a little something about him? Well, there's 449 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: no way, am I going to put him in harm. 450 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: It's not fair to put him in harm's way and say, 451 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: by guys, this is what you're gonna have to do. 452 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: We're gonna what does this guy when we watched the 453 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: film on him from the other team, what does he 454 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: do best? Well, that's what we're gonna end up having 455 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: to do. I got to kind of configure it and 456 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: do some things, And to me, that's what you do 457 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: as a coach. It's just it's not fair to a player. 458 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:39,919 Speaker 1: If he's not a good blitzer, why would you be 459 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: blitzing him, If he's not a good pass rusher, why 460 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,239 Speaker 1: would you be putting him in a situation? And then 461 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: everybody's screaming at him. I'm like, why can't this guy 462 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: do it? Well, you know you're putting him in an 463 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: unfair advantage. There's some things they just got to do 464 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: because it's part of the defense. But for the most part, 465 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,239 Speaker 1: you're trying your best to put guys in positions they 466 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: can have success, because that's how you're going to have success. 467 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: Kind of going going back to what you were saying 468 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 1: about going into players homes and getting to know them. 469 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: You after coaching at the high school level for six years, 470 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: you made the jump to college, and you made many 471 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: stops there, Miami, Ohio, Toledo, Michigan State. I could go on, 472 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: but for you, and then of course the head coaching 473 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,640 Speaker 1: job at can't state. What were you like as a recruiter. 474 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: I know recruiting now is very different and it's almost 475 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: like its own machine now, but at the time is 476 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: probably eighties nineties, what was recruiting like at that time. 477 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 1: I liked it. I did enjoy it. I didn't like 478 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: to travel necessarily all the time, but I actually like 479 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: going in and visiting with parents because I was a 480 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:54,360 Speaker 1: parent and I wanted to make them feel like I'm 481 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: going to treat their son like I would treat my son. 482 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: You know, I'm going to take care of them. I'm 483 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna do everything I can sure he graduates 484 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 1: from college. That's gonna be the number one thing. I know. 485 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: He was going to play football, and football is going 486 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,160 Speaker 1: to help pay the bill. But his chances are playing 487 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: in the NFL, you know, or slim and so I 488 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: know that and a lot of guys that I recruited, 489 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: they were the first person in their family to go 490 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: to college, and so mom's looking at him, going, I 491 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: want this guy to get an education. And so therefore, 492 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: as a father, I wanted to project that image that 493 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: you're I'm going to take care of your son. He's 494 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: not going to be just a football player. In my eyes, 495 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: He's going to be a young man and I'm going 496 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: to take care of him. And I wanted to portray that. 497 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: But I did enjoy it and I didn't. Now, you 498 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 1: have to be a negotiator, and so the difference then 499 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: was though that I sold the school, not me or 500 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: even the football program. Because coaches can change. Yeah, okay, 501 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: your son goes to Michigan State. If you're coming to 502 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: Michigan State, you're coming to Michigan State because it's got 503 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:10,479 Speaker 1: a good academic program that you're interested in, it's got 504 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 1: a good football program, and good people that are going 505 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,120 Speaker 1: to treat you right. Because two years from now, I'm 506 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: working for Nick Saban. He was mentioned for every head 507 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: coaching job. There wasn't a country, so everybody was always 508 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: using recruiting against us, saying, wow, you're going to go 509 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 1: play for Saban. He's not even going to be there 510 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,199 Speaker 1: next year. I go, yeah, he might not be. I 511 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: didn't try to take the other approach like, oh, no, 512 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: he's gonna be I don't know him. He might not be. 513 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 1: Now they look like a liar. I said, yeah, he 514 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,160 Speaker 1: might not be. But if you're choosing Michigan State because 515 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: of Nick Saban, you're choosing Michigan State for the wrong reason. 516 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,360 Speaker 1: You should be choosing Michigan State because of the academics 517 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: that you can get, the school, the people, the overall 518 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: atmosphere of Michigan State. If you're not, then yeah, you 519 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: shouldn't come to us. I don't know if I'll be 520 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: there next year. Who knows. This was a coaching profession. 521 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: People move, don't pick a school because of a person, 522 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 1: pick up because of the school. I don't think that's 523 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 1: the case anymore. It's changed a lot that way. It's 524 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: pretty crazy. So recruiting was different, yeah, you know, and 525 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: I'll go back even to like in college, even at 526 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 1: Kent State. You know, my wife, every Thursday night we 527 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 1: had ten players over to our house off the team. 528 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: We spread it out over the course of you know, 529 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: ten games and so, but if we had you know, 530 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: eighty five to ninety guys on the team, every player 531 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: that was on our football team had a home cooked 532 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: meal in our house on Thursday night, and so they 533 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: got to see my house and what it was like 534 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: and where it was and all that stuff, and so 535 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: it took a little more of a personal look than 536 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: he's just the coach. And you know, I'm probably a 537 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: whole lot different at home than I was on the field, 538 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: and so it just I think just sharing that helps 539 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: guys understand. Guys are always gonna play harder for you 540 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: if they know you care about and so it's kind 541 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: of that's how recruiting was to me. It was get 542 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 1: to know people more than it was just recruit somebody. Yeah, 543 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: what y'all eat during those those visits to your house? 544 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: Anything and everything? Yeah, a little bit of everything. It 545 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: could be burgers, it could be hot dogs, it could 546 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: be barbecue, it could be a little bit of everything. Nice. 547 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: I didn't know if it was like we're going to 548 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: have this every single Thursday night. Are you a superstitious 549 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: type in terms of coaching? Not too much. So. My 550 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: dad was very superstitious. And there was one time we 551 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: had to eat I think it was subway. It was 552 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: like we had to have subway. And this is not 553 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: a podcast sponsored by Subway unless Subway you want to 554 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: sponsor the podcast. But we would eat Subway every single 555 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: like Sunday night because they kept winning, and it was 556 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: like that was the thing. I don't know why it 557 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: was that that we fixated on, but it was like, 558 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: we have to eat Subway or we have to eat 559 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: pizza Hut. So what if you lost? Did you never 560 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: eat Subway again? We didn't eat it for the rest 561 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: of the season, which is very unfortunate because I like 562 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: a good sandwich. I mean, that's just how it was. Um, 563 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: But no, I love that, and I think that's You're 564 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: right the players, and I think, um, the impact that 565 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 1: players like coaches have on players lives. They don't know 566 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: who you are, they don't there's no impact there, and 567 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: I think that's super super important. Um. You talked about 568 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: coaching with Nick Saban, and in this area, in the Atlanta, 569 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: Georgia area, he is someone who's very very well known 570 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: and his career is very very well known. What's your 571 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: favorite Nick Saban story from your time coaching with him? Oh, 572 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: I gotta be careful here, I know, so No, he 573 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: Nick treated me absolutely great. And I know people would 574 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: think this is probably hard to believe, but um, in 575 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: I was Nick Saban's defense coordinare twice right, Yes, you 576 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: you were with him, he got he got a lot 577 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: of people don't know. He was the head coach at 578 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: the University of Toledo, right, and he was only there 579 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: a year, and so I hired he hired me as 580 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: his defensive coordinator. We went nine and two, won the league, 581 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: and he leaves and goes and goes to the Browns 582 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: as the defensive coordinator. And here we are nine and two, 583 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: but we all got retained and stayed on and with 584 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: a guy named Gary Pinkle, who was also a great coach. 585 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: And so then when I left him later and went 586 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: to Notre Dame, and Nick went to Michigan State and 587 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: hired me back as his defensive coordinator. So Nick has 588 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: always been great to me and my family, and people 589 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: will find us hard to believe. But in all the 590 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: time that I coached for Nick, he never raised his 591 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: voice one time at me. Never, And I think he 592 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: knew that I always had was loyal, had mutual respect 593 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: for him, and would never do anything that he didn't want. 594 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: But I do recall one time we're out and we 595 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: had what we call pre practice, and I go out 596 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: and I kind of walk through and talk through the 597 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: stuff that's going to go through and practice. And so 598 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: I go out and I'm going through all this stuff 599 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: with the defense and he wasn't out there, and he 600 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: kind of walked out late, and then he started to 601 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: talk about something that I'd already covered, and I was 602 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: in a hurry because I wanted to get everything done 603 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: before the whistle blew to start practice. And I just 604 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: looked at it goes, hey, I've covered that kind of 605 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 1: that like that. As soon as I did it, I 606 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: was like, what the heck have I done? And all 607 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: players got like, oh good, dead silence. He didn't say 608 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: a word. We went on way of practice later that night, 609 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: though I got a telephone call. All was next time 610 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: I walk out late, I'd appreciate it very much if 611 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: you didn't use that tone with me, Yes, sir, Yes, 612 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 1: you're a good coach. I knew I was wrong two 613 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: seconds after my mouth so, but he treated me absolutely great. 614 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: I love it. It's it's so great when you know 615 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: you had you had all these experiences at the college 616 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: level and then you get you get to become your 617 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: own head coach at Kent State. UM. What was that 618 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: experience like and why did you want to make that jump. 619 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: And also something that we've talked about recently is that 620 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: was a very meaningful time for you in your career. 621 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: So can you kind of just take me through those years. Well, 622 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: first of all, I had three bosses in a row, 623 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: Nick Saban, Gary Pinkel, and Lou Holt and they're all 624 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: Kent State graduates. Wow, yeah, I do so. And I 625 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: grew up in the Mid American Conference, went to school 626 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: bowling Green, I coached. I was evens coordinator in Miami 627 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: of Ohio, the events coordinator at Toledo. So I knew 628 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: the league really well and loved the league. It's very competitive, 629 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: it's not high profile and all that, but it's very 630 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: good football. And I really loved the league. So the 631 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 1: Kent State job kind of opened up and they actually 632 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:18,880 Speaker 1: contacted me, and I think probably because of Nick and 633 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:23,479 Speaker 1: Lew and Gary, and I know there were some people 634 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: thought maybe I shouldn't take this job because they had 635 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: lost for a long time and it was not good losses. 636 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: It was not good. But part of the reason it 637 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:38,240 Speaker 1: attracted me that job. I was attracted to that job 638 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:41,839 Speaker 1: was the same thing as high school. One of them. 639 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: I told you early on. One of the most rewarding 640 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 1: things I ever did was having a first winning season 641 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,760 Speaker 1: in years at that high school. And I thought, Okay, 642 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 1: whoever takes over for Nick Saban at Alabama, you get 643 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: about one way to go, and that's that. I mean, 644 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: how you're gonna You're gonna fill those shoes. And it's 645 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 1: kind of like when I went to New England. Yeah, 646 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: I won a Super Bowl my first year there, but 647 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: they won the Super Bowl the year before. Did I 648 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,760 Speaker 1: feel a sense of accomplishment. Well, yeah, I didn't screw 649 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: them up, but I didn't build them. Bill Belichick built it. 650 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 1: So this was an opportunity. Can we take a program 651 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: that is really down and down and let's see if 652 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:28,840 Speaker 1: we can change it. And that's such a gratifying, satisfying feeling. 653 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:30,919 Speaker 1: It wasn't in high school. So I wanted to kind 654 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:33,439 Speaker 1: of relive that a little bit at the college level, 655 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: and we did, and we turned the thing around with 656 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,720 Speaker 1: guys like Josh Cribbs and James Harrison and some other guys. 657 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,920 Speaker 1: Took some players, but what a gratifying feeling to finally 658 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: have the first winning season. Then in two thousand and 659 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 1: one and we beat Ben Roethlisberger on the last play 660 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 1: at the last game to go six and five and 661 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: people would have thought we'd won the Super Bowl. What 662 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: a gratifying feeling that was. And it was hard work. 663 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: There wasn't a lot of money at those schools. You 664 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: got to really work hard. You're fighting an uphill battle 665 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: and recruiting not only financially, but because you've been losing 666 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: for so long, you know, culture, everything, Hey, kids are 667 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: looking at you. Yeah. I recruited Dave were Gone. It's 668 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: on our staff and it came down to us in Louisville. Yeah, 669 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: and I know why you went to Louisville and Louisville 670 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: was having winning seasons and we weren't. And he was 671 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: high profile quarterback out of Cleveland, Ohio. And so it 672 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: was just those six years where it was very, very 673 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: very gratifying. Yeah, can you walk me through that recruiting 674 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 1: process of Dave We're gone. You know what, Dave were 675 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 1: Gone helped me more than any coach or player ever 676 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: in recruiting. Really, I'll tell you how. And he knows 677 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 1: it because I gave him credit for it. They were going. 678 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: It was a very high profile Saint Ignatious High School, 679 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 1: which is a great high school in Cleveland, Ohio state 680 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: champion stuff. So it comes down to us and Louisville. 681 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,720 Speaker 1: And the thing about Dave was, you know, most recruits 682 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: are the high school coach is gonna tell you and go, hey, 683 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: he recruited. You know, he committed to Louisville. Dave didn't. 684 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: Dave came down and told me in person, coach, I'm 685 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: going to Louisville. I really loved it here. I loved 686 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 1: my visit here. You know, I like your staff, I 687 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: like all this stuff, what you're doing, But I'm going 688 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: to Louisville. Dave, why tell me why? Because this would 689 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:32,439 Speaker 1: have been a coup for us to get this guy 690 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: out of Cleveland. Yeah, he goes. It's just I've grown 691 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: up all the time when reading the Cleveland Playing Dealer 692 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: and everything, and everything about Kent State football was negative, 693 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:47,880 Speaker 1: you know, Louisville pretty positive. It's not. It's like everybody 694 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,359 Speaker 1: would probably stop him in the hallway and say, you know, hey, 695 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: where are you going to school? Dave? And David go 696 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: wat it's between Kent and Louisville, and I Kent, you know, 697 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: so I don't think he could He couldn't overcome that yeah, 698 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,439 Speaker 1: and he also wanted to be an NFL player until 699 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: he thought my chances are going to be better. I 700 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: was selling to him, come here and help us build 701 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: something special. You can be the guy. So he didn't, 702 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: but he told me in person, which tells you a 703 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: little bit about him as a man and as a 704 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: young boy eight seventeen, eighteen years old to have, you know, 705 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: usually they have the coach call you had to tell you. 706 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,359 Speaker 1: So I looked at that and I go, okay. So 707 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 1: this guy loved it here. He's a high profile guy. 708 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 1: He liked his visit, he liked the school, he liked 709 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,360 Speaker 1: the staff, and he still didn't choose us. What's that 710 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 1: tell me? So I changed my whole recruiting program and said, 711 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,440 Speaker 1: I'm going east because we were in Ohio school and 712 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:49,120 Speaker 1: we tried to recruit nothing but a lot of Ohio kids, 713 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,800 Speaker 1: which we still did, but we're fighting Toledo, Miami of Ohio. 714 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: You got Ohio State, and then everybody else comes into 715 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: Ohio and recruits Syracuse, all Penn State. All of them. 716 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: Need to go somewhere where people don't know as much 717 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:05,839 Speaker 1: about Kent State football. So I went to the East 718 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: Coast and I got a kid named Josh Cribbs and 719 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: a couple other guys, and all of a sudden, it 720 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: turned the whole thing around. Yeah. Then we went back 721 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:18,399 Speaker 1: to recruiting Ohio hard once we started winning, So it 722 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,840 Speaker 1: was like, Dave, we're gone by not coming actually helped 723 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: me turn the program around because I took a different 724 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: direction in recruiting. That is fantastic. This is the podcast 725 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:32,680 Speaker 1: and material that I was looking for. I love this. 726 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 1: It's really great and it's interesting because we've kind of 727 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: gone through your high school experience, your college experience, and 728 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: the next time that you pop on the podcast, which 729 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: this is going to be a separate part, we're going 730 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:48,760 Speaker 1: to get into you making the jump to the league 731 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: and all of the experiences that come along with it, 732 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: maybe hopefully get some Bill Belichick stories in there. But 733 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:56,959 Speaker 1: thank you for joining me today and we're really looking 734 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: forward to having you on in a couple of days. 735 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: My pleasure, I spoke matter. Can any husband had fire